The International 4 Main Event PreviewJul 15th, 2014 at 5:00 PM by SW4Y1N

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

If you are a stranger to esports or the internet, you may have missed that Dota 2’s largest tournament “The International” has been underway for over a week now. You may be wondering how in the world you could catch up with all that has gone on before the main event begins on the 18th. Fret not, you have come to the right place to get you caught up right before the Main Event begins.

Major Storylines:

Alliance Eliminated: To the surprise of just about everyone, the defending International champions Alliance were knocked out in the group stages well before the main event. Alliance had looked solid enough before the tournament that nobody expected them to bow out early. Seen as a powerhouse in the professional Dota 2 scene, a collective shock was sent through the community who saw Alliance eliminated in a tense match with their sister team Evil Geniuses. Alliance’s early performances, which left them in a one-win, four-loss hole, seemed to have sealed their fate.

Team Liquid: Rising from the shambles of a once-solid Dota 2 team, Liquid surprised spectators by first winning the Wild Card Playoffs without dropping a game, then performing admirably to advance through the group stages. They were finally eliminated in the third phase of the playoffs, just before the main event. Liquid was not expected to fare well, yet they came to the tournament on a mission and looked completely revitalized throughout the group stages. The team had been on a rocky road trying to find roster stability and team synergy before the International began. Team Liquid was one of the tournament’s biggest surprises and it was sad to see the Cinderella story end in their elimination match against LGD.

Evil Geniuses: While not a complete surprise, Evil Geniuses finished in the second spot after the group stages had concluded. At times the team looked completely unstoppable through the group stages cutting a swath through most of the competition, settling for eleven wins and four losses through the group stage. The excitement around the team is a product of an “underdog mentality,” as the American Dota scene is often seen as weaker than its European and Chinese counterparts. Seeing Evil Geniuses claim victories over powerhouse teams through the group stages has many American fans excited for the Main Event.

The bracket below shows the teams you can expect to see play matches at the Main Event, which begins on Friday, the 18th. The matches, up until the Grand Final, are played in a best-of-three format. The Grand Final will be played in a best-of-five format. Losers at any stage (other than a loss in the Winner’s Bracket) are eliminated from the tournament.

The Remaining Schedule:

Friday, July 18th: Coverage of the Winner’s Bracket begins at 9am PDT.

Saturday, July 19th: First day of Loser’s Bracket coverage begins at 9am PDT.

Sunday, July 20th: Second day of Loser’s Bracket coverage begins at 9am PDT.

Kick back for the weekend, grab some friends, find a Pub Stomp, and enjoy some of the best competitive gaming has to offer. Thanks to Valve and all those involved for an amazing tournament so far, it really has been a blast to watch. I’m currently pulling for Na’Vi and Evil Geniuses to win, how about you?

Oh, and don’t forget to come back here for in-depth analysis of each day of the Main Event!